DOs and DON’Ts: Proposals Edition (Or, Would You Say “NO!” to an Awful Proposal?!)

Here are six proposals that might make one girl swoon and the next break out in a cold sweat. What do you think?

In Front of Family Do you want your mom looking on when your guy gets down on one knee?

In Front of Strangers Your boyfriend excuses himself to go to the bathroom while you’re visiting the aquarium and tells you to wait by the shark tank. And then all of a sudden you’re acutely aware of the man with the “Marry Me!” sign—and the 1,593 people who all have their eyes on y-o-u.

On the Jumbo-Tron at a Sporting Event Like “In Front of Strangers,” times a million. And that’s not counting the six billion people who are going to see your proposal on SportsCenter in 30 minutes.

At Rockefeller Center Skating Rink (Or Anything Else That’s Been Done—Often) My friend Ann watched four guys propose at Rockefeller Center one afternoon—literally, four—before her own boyfriend got down on one knee on the ice. Did witnessing four copycat proposals make hers any less special? I’m not sure.

On Valentine’s Day The greeting card companies insist it’s the MOST romantic day of the year—and you can’t get much more romantic than a marriage proposal! Or can you?

In Costume I’m all for a costumed proposal! Plus, I really needed an opportunity to use this photograph. What’s going ON here?!

Are the proposals above DOs or DON’Ts? Would you be totally freaked out if your guy picked a proposal you hated? Or just a teeny bit disappointed? Is there any proposal you’d say “NO!” to?

Here’s a handy little template you can copy and paste to share your answers: